AkaIto: The Red Thread of Fate
by ariel ashford
Summary: Yuki and Kyou learn new facts about two new strange girls. What's gonna happen and will it all end in disaster? KyouX OC X Tohru with OCX Kakeru X Yuki DISCONTINUED
1. Akari

**Aka-Ito**

_A joint collaboration by_:

{ Shigemoto Namiko & Matsuki Risako } © 2008

- - -

Disclaimer: The creation of this story plot and the original characters, Akayuri Akari and Himawari Hikari belongs to their respective authors (Shigemoto Namiko, Matsuki Risako). The general plot of interest was born from a long process of brainstorming and two of our creative input/output, and it is our appreciation to see that none of our work is to be plagiarized or copied in any way, shape, or form. The original Fruits Basket (Furuba) subplot of the Zodiac Animals its canon characters belongs to manga artist Natsuki Takaya.

Summary: Akayuri Akari, finds herself living her life one day after another. Lost, she is unsure of what to do with her life as she struggles to discover what her purpose in life is. Himawari Hikari feels that she has been nothing but an indecisive person. Afraid to open accept feelings of others and afraid to make decisions, she runs away. Both of them want to change – but how? The story begins by a simple wish – but soon they find themselves tangled in the complex threads of fate.

- - -

Chapter 01: Akari

The roar of a jet plane resonated overhead, its massive wings cutting through the blue air in a streaked line. A plume of white smoke scattered themselves across the canvas of blue, merging and blending in along with the cirrus clouds that resembled like snow powder more than anything else. Below, far from heaven, was a grey and bleak sight. People dressed snugly in their coats, red-tipped noses, puffs of hot breaths and the wet shuffling of feet plodding through half-melted snow filled every single pore of her body, every tingling sense, every brush of air. Inhaling the sharp cold air into her lungs, she tore her gaze away from the only colour she could see; the sky, and she glanced ahead, forwards, towards another monochromatic day.

It was especially chilly this year. It was early February, which wasn't surprising. Clutching at the folds of her coat pockets for more warmth, she could feel her cold fingers clutching at mere cloth, receiving neither warmth nor chill. It wasn't a reassuring feeling, and she hated it. Turning around a corner, she reluctantly took her hand out from her pockets, taking out her subway pass. Slipping the card over the glass surface of the sensor bar, the bar that was previously obstructing her pathway opened and granted her access briefly. She quickly strode through chains of people, expertly slipping past other commuters rushing to get to work.

Her train arrived. Stepping right into the compartment just as the doors slid open, she brushed past several other people, not even bothering to glance back to acknowledge the fact that she was sorry for her rude movement. Sitting down immediately on an empty seat, she crossed her legs together, feeling her cold skin on top one another as they started to warm up, her blue tartan-plaid pleated skirt folding neatly just over mid-thigh. Dark navy knee socks provided little cover from the winter fury, but it was better than nothing at all. A long grey coat covered her entire upper torso, whilst a crimson plaid-printed scarf was tucked tightly around her neck, covering the bottom half of her face, her cheeks rosy.

Strands of chestnut-black hair framed the sides of her face, while longer side bangs came down past her shoulders, resting on the fabric of her coat. Sharp roan-red eyes glanced downwards on the top of her schoolbag, her name tag encased in a glossed plastic surface, giving additional details of her home address in the emergency if it were to be lost. As the train rattled its way, it stopped various times, and various people came and went. As if there was no end.

- - -

The clamour of books being stacked back into a neat pile filled the classroom air. As chairs are pushed back and students standing up, she turned briefly in her seat, to glance at them, before shifting her eye gaze back to the white scenery of beyond the glass prison of a window. It wasn't long until the classroom was empty except for her, the silence being something like a gift to her that was only granted at the end of a painfully long day.

"Akayuri Akari." A voice came, and she recognized it instantly. Her teacher strolled in the classroom, a whole stack of papers loaded in her arms. Placing it down heavily upon the desk, her homeform teacher glanced at Akari for a moment, a troubled look clouding her face. "Akayuri, you still haven't handed in your career and college application forms yet. I need it soon."

Akari remained silent for a moment, turning away slightly. "Why?"

"Well…" Her teacher bit her lip, wondering on how to phrase her explanation. "…it's important for you to decide what career you want to head into, and you'll need to know which university or college to start applying for. I need to hand this in to the school board by the end of this week."

Akari stared back at her teacher. "And what if I don't want to?"

Her teacher gave her a hardened look. "It's not a matter of what you want; it's what you need to do."

The long-haired girl condescendingly turned her face away, her tresses spilling across her back. "It doesn't matter to me." Standing up, she quickly grabbed her bag, and ran out of the classroom before her teacher could say another word. Quickly opening a stairwell door open, she jumped down the flights of stairs, her throat burning, her eyes blurring.

She reached her shoe locker. Quickly grabbing her coat and scarf, she changed into her pair of outdoor shoes, slamming the locket shut angrily. In one hand clutched her schoolbag; the other, was the career options form. Storming out of the building, she soon grew tired of being angry, and felt the hurt settling in inside, walking down along the side path that led out to the neighbourhood. The anger had faded – but nothing could really be forgotten, as it was imprinted freshly in her memory.

Akari found herself wandering along a road unknown. The gaps between bordering streets were long, and not many houses were close by. She glanced around, nervous anxiety settling in the pit of her stomach as the fear of becoming lost was more evident in her mind than anything else. Her tired legs continued to walk though, her desperate need of warm shelter and the sense of belonging overcoming her fatigue.

A jingle of bells echoed in the distance. Her ears perked up, and she looked around curiously. Close ahead, was a small and highly unnoticeable turn, clouded by masses of entwined ivy and tree branches that have overgrew the original red torii marker. The classical red pillar that signified the entrance of a holy place in Shintoism, as large as it is, sadly was covered in the dead colours of winter. There was an urge of excitement and adventure, but it was mixed with fear – fear of the unknown that lay ahead.

Tearing down an obstructing branch of dead foliage, Akari made her way past, finding herself constricted to a small pathway that led her upwards to the top of the hill. On both her right and left, she was surrounded by impassable hedges of tree growth and bushes, their branches so fine and so thin, that they weaved a net around and above, almost like a caged tunnel. However, it wasn't dark, for the tops shed shafts of light that brightened her pathway upwards. It wasn't a feeling of fear that overwhelmed her; for a moment, she stood here, adoring the beauty of the old wooden steps upon the wet earth, millions of decaying and old leaves scattered about.

Finally gathering her wits, Akari climbed up the hill, panting a little as the footing was rough and the space was small. However, it gradually widened to an exit. She climbed her way out, looking around, savouring the view.

It wasn't terribly a large open piece of land, but it was wide enough to run through and feel a breeze. Adjacent to each sides, was a row of identical torii pillars, the floors being made up of old white brick and cobblestone. She continued towards, towards the small shrine in the centre at the end, the long braid of a bell standing out. The white and purple threads were a little faded and dirty, the golden bells having lost their luster and their shine a long while back. But the entirety of it all was calming, and it was quaint. Stepping close to the wishing bell, Akari looked up, emotion flooding her body, drowning her senses.

Taking the piece of rope into her hands, she closed her eyes feeling the breeze play with her hair wildly. A sigh escaped her lips before she squeezed her eyes shut once more and in her mind she screamed with a mix of anger and pain,

_I wish I could live in a world where I could start all over again!_

The bell clanged loudly throughout the wide open area, and the sound of the bell sounded throughout the shrine. Akari dropped the piece of rope as if it was the heaviest thing in the world, her arms hung loosely against her body. A tear escaped from the hidden eye that was blocked by her bangs. Falling to her knees, she cried hard but softly. The only thing that could be heard was the soft sounds of weeping and moans. It was a while later that Akari got back up, swaying slightly her eyes were glazed over. Unfortunately if a by passer were to see her, they would know that she had been crying because of her red swollen like eyes. She wiped her eyes against the rough wool of her scarf. She gripped her crimson red scarp angrily before wrapping it around her neck once more. Her bangs obscured her eyes as she walked out of the shrine as quickly as possible, her heart was deep with worry.

It wasn't until she got home to find that it was empty again with a note on the small fridge. It said, "Please make dinner for yourself. I'll be late coming home because of work. Love, Auntie Linda." Akari stared at the note with an expressionless face before threw her backpack on the floor of the living room. Looking at the answering machine, she pressed the button 'Play' to listen to the messages that had come in during the day. Her eyes dulled even more to hear the voice that she thought that she would never wanted to hear again. A voice that she wanted to erase from all existence.

"_Hey Akari honey~! It's usss~ Mommy and Daddy! We're not going to be home for a little while, alright? Take care of yourself, alright? We love you very much! Work hard at school, okay?" Beep._

Akari slumped into the couch, her eyes were glum from the thought about her mother and her father. Those two always seemed to run away from her. They were her irresponsible parents that left her with her aunt to just rot and die. She hated them both. Those sum bags didn't love her at all. Hell, they didn't even visit her when they had the chance to. Yes, Akari hated them so much that she wanted to kill them.

"Dammit, Dammit! What they hell is wrong with them? I want them to disappear! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! If it's not them, I need to get out of here! I need to…get away from this crap!" She screamed, her eyes started to water, and she punched the wall once again, crying out angrily. She deleted the message after that, and a sudden urge was to throw the machine against the wall. But then again, it wasn't the machine's fault. Akari swore angrily under her breath as blood ran across her knuckles. Glancing at her minor wounds, she licked them off before walking over towards the sink to wash off the blood. Thankfully the blood didn't stain the wall for she would have gotten in so much trouble, since her aunt didn't have that much money to repair such things. The thought of money triggered the anger that she always held when she thought about the 'vacations' that her parents always seemed to be having. She shook her head before she walked back over towards living room to pick up her bag and walked upstairs towards her room.

_What' s wrong with them? What's wrong with me?_

It was a plain and rather simple room with a futon in the middle that she hadn't put away the morning that she had left. Plopping her things on the side of her room, she dropped to the floor, crawling her way towards the futon. Pulling the covers over her head, she squeezed her eyes and in a few mere second, she fell into a dark deep sleep. In the back of her mind, she could feel that something awful, yet wonderful was going to happen the next time she opened her eyes.

- - -

End of Ch.1

Akari/Nami: Well, this is the first chapter of the story. So it's kind short. The next chapter should be longer, and it should make more sense after this. I know there are no Fruits Basket Charries in this one, but I promise that there will be featuring a few of them in the next chapter. Please, Review!

Hikari/Risako: Yes, please.


	2. Hikari

**Aka-Ito**

_A joint collaboration by_:

{ Shigemoto Namiko & Matsuki Risako } © 2008

- - -

Disclaimer: The creation of this story plot and the original characters, Akayuri Akari and Himawari Hikari belongs to their respective authors (Shigemoto Namiko, Matsuki Risako). The general plot of interest was born from a long process of brainstorming and two of our creative input/output, and it is our appreciation to see that none of our work is to be plagiarized or copied in any way, shape, or form. The original Fruits Basket (Furuba) subplot of the Zodiac Animals its canon characters belongs to manga artist Natsuki Takaya.

Summary: Akayuri Akari, finds herself living her life one day after another. Lost, she is unsure of what to do with her life as she struggles to discover what her purpose in life is. Himawari Hikari feels that she has been nothing but an indecisive person. Afraid to open accept feelings of others and afraid to make decisions, she runs away. Both of them want to change – but how? The story begins by a simple wish – but soon they find themselves tangled in the complex threads of fate.

- - -

Chapter 02: Hikari

A single pulse – a jolt of memory, caused her body to lurch upwards and the pleasant dream from before dissipated instantly. As her eyes flew open, she immediately sat back up in bed, breathing heavily for a moment, roan-brown locks clinging to the sides of her face from the perspire of a nightmare. It wasn't real. It had all been a dream. The teenaged girl gave a sigh before lying back down. The re-occurring nightmares that she had been having were getting more and more intense. Squinting her eyes, she peered out the window. It was about the crack of dawn. She yawned and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd rather sleep than face the day. Besides, what was the point of going to school if she had to just listen to her classmates making fun of her? It was stupid.

Yes, Hikari was getting bullied at school. She blamed it on her self. Why? It was because she was unable to please people. She never did have a good social life even when she was a kid. She was an outsider. She was closed to everyone. Hikari frowned at the thought, her eyes still shut. Reopening them, she heaved herself back up, her hair was in a mess from moving around in her sleep. Her mother was always bothering her about her screaming during the night. With another depressed sigh, she flipped the covers up and crawled out of bed. She always hated the mornings. The brown haired girl always wanted to just stay in bed. Sleeping was really the best in her opinion. Besides, if she didn't go to school it wasn't as if anyone was going to miss her. That is, almost everyone in the school. The only person she would actually ever talk to was her friend, Shota. He was pretty nice. Well, the only person in the whole damn private school that was nice. All those other fuckers were stuck up and awful.

So what if she swore? Her family was pretty well off, but she didn't feel one bit happy. She was always the problem girl in the whole family. Even when her parents were invited to those…formal parties, she never seemed to fit in. Shota understood. He actually understood what she felt. All of those times on the rooftops with him felt wonderful. He was the only person in the world that really understood him. Not even her parents understood her. They thought she needed help. A psychiatrist. Fuck, she wasn't insane. She was just different from the rich and spoiled children in the school. Yawning and ruffling her short locks, she went into the bathroom. Her complexion was nice. Hikari had been told that she had a pretty face. Hah. Suck-ups. Just because her father was a CEO of a huge company didn't mean everything that the workers there was true. Sure, she was pale and she had no pimples on her face, but she didn't find herself gorgeous. Slapping her face, she looked into the mirror. Staring at the pale faced brunette in the mirror she spoke in a harsh whisper,

"What the hell are you looking at?"

Glaring at the girl in the mirror, her milk chocolate eyes looked down at the brush on the counter. Brushing her hair rather quickly, she then turned on the tap to wash her face. Splashing cold water on her face, she felt refreshingly better. Wiping away the water with a towel, she walked back into her large and nearly empty room. In minutes, she had her uniform on. The dark navy blazer was made with expensive material. She knew that. Her parents always did like to show off to other people. Saying stupid things that made them sound snotty, like the rest of the students at her school. It didn't matter. She, Hikari, was a pretty rich, but it didn't mean she could have anything she wanted. She felt pretty empty on the inside, plus she wasn't afraid to show it. Her skirt was knee length, making her look pretty nerdy. Probably another reason why she was always bothered so much. Getting her bag, she headed downstairs. A maid greeted her by bowing politely to her. Her face showed no emotion as her mother approached her with a warm smile,

"Hikari-chan. Smile more! You look prettier that way! Anyways, Takeru-san will be your driver today. Please buy some lunch at school with your credit card from now on. It's weird how you wanted home made lunches….." Her mother trailed off looking at her daughter was if the idea was repulsive. Shaking her head, she gave a small chuckled,

"Oh well, I guess it must be some sort of teenager phase. Well, enjoy your day school, dear! Don't forget to turn on your cell!" Hikari remained expressionless, her light brown eyes stared at her mother dully. God, her mother was a fake. Hikari felt hatred towards her parents. Both of them lived to please others. Looking at the doorman who lead her towards the long dark car, she entered into the limo. The door closed with a snap and off she went to school. Her breakfast was usually served at school, like all of the other meals she had, except for dinner. Leaning back on the dark leather cushions, she closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. The wisps of her roan brown hair flew up gently when she blew up on her bangs. If only things could change some how. She hated her life. It had no meaning. Her arrival at school was like any other day. Everyone ignored her. Everyone except the bullies at the school. The girl gang that many people dreaded sneered at her once entering the locker area.

"Oh! Look who it is! It's Hik-Hik! Awww, why are you so gloomy? Isn't your name supposed to mean light? Wow, your parents must have been drunks when they named you!" they all laughed. Hikari ignored them, placing her outdoor shoes into the locker. The taller girl's eyes narrowed. She placed a rough hand on Hikari's slender shoulder and whirled her around. Hikari's face remained as expressionless as possible while facing the mean girl. The girl's breath was sour to the smell and Hikari had a sudden urge to throw up.

"Listen whore! Nobody likes you here, so stop acting all cool and mighty, got it? Oi, Himawari! Are you even listening to me?!?" She was screeching now. Hikari's dull eyes looked up and she responded with an expressionless tone,

"Please let go of me. Your germs are getting on my blazer."

The girl snarled. No, she actually snarled. Pushing the other girl into the locker violently, Hikari stumbled back, her back hitting the lockers with a bam. That was going to leave a bruise. The group of girls laughed at her for the other girl had said some sort of pathetic insult before heading off with a huff. Hikari shrugged before gathering her stuff and getting to class. It was just the usual day. She would just meet up with Shota in class and talk about how the girls were acting all bossy again. How stupid it all was. She was just heading around the corner when she overheard the conversation,

"Hey, Shota! Why are you always hanging around that Himawari chick?"

"Yeah! We've seen you two go up the roof so many times! Dude, are you dating her?"

Shota was looking cheerful when he laughed at their accusations. He was smirking and looking cocky. Hikari felt a shiver when she heard his next words,

"Her? She's way too depressing for me to date. You know, I'm just being friends with her. Friends with benefits." He smirked at them all when they all clapped and laughed. Snickering, a few boys slapped him on the shoulder,

"God, Shota. You're such a bastard in the inside! When Himawari finds out, she's going to be so depressed! But, man! Friends with benefits? How do you know it's gonna work?" Shota laughed, brushing his wavy hair with a hand. His dark eyes looked at them with an amused sparkle. Hikari gulped, her legs were already shaking. What else could be worse? She couldn't go in now. She had to know what she meant by the "friends with benefits". What was his true intention of befriending her?

"You know. She's always relying on me! Once she snaps, BAM! She'll be so depressed and I'll be the only one to comfort her. In THAT way." He waggled his eyebrows mischievously. The boys surrounding him were all howling with laughter. Shota sat back in his seat, looking confident and all…slimy. Hikari stared at her ex-friend with a look of horror on her face. He wanted to have SEX with her? What was she? A prostitute like all of the other girl students in the school? Tears began to form in her eyes when she abruptly entered into the classroom. With a bang, she threw her bag down at her desk.

Making her way over towards the boy, she slapped him across the cheek with all of her might. The shock that registered through his face was incredible. Tears coursed down her pale cheeks when she glared at him with anger and hatred. Slapping wasn't enough. A fist formed on her other hand and she punched him. Blood spurted from his nose when she knocked him off his chair. He was on the floor now, nursing his swollen cheek. He was unable to make a cry because Hikari was now on top of him, beating him with her fists. Punching him felt so much better. All of the trust she had given him…all of that love she had shown him. Hikari had shown her true side towards him. She thought she had also seen his true side too. The girl was wrong. He lied to her. He never liked her. He was just like the rest of them. Pathetic. Liars. Fakes.

She could hear people shouting at her to stop. She even felt people pulling her away from him. Her hands were all soaked in blood. His blood. The boy, Shota, was lying there all bloody. His mouth was filled with blood and his face was all swelled up. Hikari choked on her sobs while she beat him. Stopping, she got up and took her things from her desk and ran out the door. Her uniform was in ruins. All bloody. Had Shota let her beat him up? Or was it because she continued to beat him so much that he didn't have time to attack her back? She didn't know. Hikari just kept running.

Hikari ended up at home. The cursed home she always hated to go back to. She had nowhere else to go. Slamming the door open, once getting her keys, she ran upstairs. Tearing off her blazer, she threw it down on the floor of the bedroom. Rushing into her bed, she flopped onto her bed, crying hard. Her life was in a complete mess. She had no friends. Nobody to live for. So what did she have to live for? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She needed to get away from everything. Start a new life. Become a new person. Hikari didn't want to be known as the "Himawari Hikari" anymore. She wanted to be someone. Not a nobody. Grabbing some clothes and a backpack, she opened her window and jumped out. She still had her credit card and her cell. Everything was accounted for.

For the first time in her life, Hikari made a real decision. She decided to run away.

Her parents would worry, but they would get over it eventually. Besides, she was just a depressing daughter in their minds. They didn't love her. She knew that much. They just wanted a child and lo behold. That child happened to be her. Just because she was the only child didn't mean she would be loved by them. She was walking towards the forest now. She could sleep there. It sounded awfully quiet and a perfect place for a new home. Besides, the forest was somewhere that her parents would probably never think to look. Technically it was more of a ravine, but the trees were all so thick, it reminded her or a forest. Climbing up the tree, she managed to get to the top. Looking down below, she realized how high she was. Well, that didn't matter. She was safe. She was away from everything when she was up here. Feeling more relieved, she screamed loudly. The trees shook slightly, but it was probably the wind that blew. All of the anger and sadness she had been holding was finally let out. Once finishing, she whispered to herself,

"I wish I didn't have to live this life. I don't want this life! Please…just get me out of here." She was praying. A tear dropped on her bare leg. She was forgotten to the word. She was insignificant to everyone out there. Hikari never felt more alone when sitting up in the tree all alone. Only the trees were able to talk to her. She sang softly,

"Please, please forgive me. But I won't be home again. Maybe someday you'll look up and barely conscious you'll say to no one, isn't someone missing?" It was more of a statement that was not to be answered. She was crying softly now. Why was she being so…pathetic? She didn't want to live her life anymore. Hikari couldn't bear to deal with everything. She knew nobody cared and all of the dreams that she had been having were almost becoming real. It was all too scary.

A thunderous crack suddenly sounded through the quiet forest. Hikari was all alert, her eyes were wide. What was the sound? Another loud crack sounded. It was awfully close! Her breath shortened when she realized that the sound was coming below her. The branch was going to snap. Her automatic sense was to grasp the tree, but it was too late. She was falling. Down, down, down. It was never ending. At last, she felt the ground. There was a sickening crack and everything from there on went black. Her last thought that echoed through her head was,

'_I wish I was in a world where I could start all over again.'_

And with that, she fell into the darkness that enclosed over her.

---

End of Ch.2

Akari/Nami: Done. FINALLY. It's finally done. Actually, I did the rest from the first paragraph on. Hikari/Risako was too busy to work on it. She did the first chapter from beginning, the middle and a little bit of the end. After that, I finished it off. ANYWAYS, the fruits basket characters should be coming into the next chapter. Don't worry. Yuki and Kyo will have a large role to play in this! As well as Torhru. God, her name can be such a pain to spell. Well, please review and tell me what you really want to happen! The pairings are still to be decided. So, reviews are key to this fanfic, mmks?

Hikari/Risako: You talk too much, Akari. .

Akari/Nami:Well…I just want the reviewers to know how much I treasure them! So, please review! I love you allllll~ 333


	3. The Contract

**Aka-Ito**

_A joint collaboration by_:

{ Shigemoto Namiko & Matsuki Risako } © 2008

- - -

Disclaimer: The creation of this story plot and the original characters, Akayuri Akari and Himawari Hikari belongs to their respective authors (Shigemoto Namiko, Matsuki Risako). The general plot of interest was born from a long process of brainstorming and two of our creative input/output, and it is our appreciation to see that none of our work is to be plagiarized or copied in any way, shape, or form. The original Fruits Basket (Furuba) subplot of the Zodiac Animals its canon characters belongs to manga artist Natsuki Takaya.

Summary: Akayuri Akari, finds herself living her life one day after another. Lost, she is unsure of what to do with her life as she struggles to discover what her purpose in life is. Himawari Hikari feels that she has been nothing but an indecisive person. Afraid to open accept feelings of others and afraid to make decisions, she runs away. Both of them want to change – but how? The story begins by a simple wish – but soon they find themselves tangled in the complex threads of fate.

- - -

Chapter 03: The Contract

"Ugh…Where am I?"

The question hung in the silence. A teenager that lying on her side twitched slightly. Her amber colored eyes fluttered open. Blinking away the blurry images, she was finally able to see clearly. Getting up groggily, she looked around. She was in some sort of shop. The shop was Japanese, for the sliding doors that stood about five feet away from her proved her point. The place she was in was bright. As if she was outside or something. Although there were no trees around, she noticed that natural light shone through the ceiling light. The sun was bright and it was getting into her eyes. Her brows furrowed at the bright light, her arm shielded the light. It wasn't cold, for one and the room she was in was actually filled with…things.

Akari stood up. Not two feet away from her, she noticed a girl. The other girl looked around the same age as her, perhaps even a little bit younger. She was sprawled out, her face facing away from her. Her arms and her legs were bent funnily and it looked as if she just fell from a great height. Walking over, she turned the girl over. Indeed, the girl looked younger than her close up. This brown haired girl was a pretty little thing. Pale and thin. She looked so fragile, Akari noticed. The brown haired girl had short hair, but it suited her well. She gently patted the girl on the cheek.

"Oi. Wake up. Oiii!!!!" She whispered gently to the girl. The girl flinched. Akari stopped patting her. The girl was waking up. Chocolate colored eyes opened slowly. Akari gave the girl a small warm smile before speaking gently, "Hey there. Have a nice nap?" The girl remained silent, her face showed that she was confused. Hikari got up slowly, her arms hoisting herself up. Rubbing her head, she muttered,

"Ow…where am I?" Akari gave a light chuckle. Shrugging, she said, "No idea. That's the same question I asked." Hikari blinked. There was a girl infront of her. A pretty asian girl. She had long black hair and she looked…friendly. Hikari looked around the room before her eyes landed back on the girl infront of her.

"Errr…who are you?" Akari smiled and bowed her head slightly before she introduced herself, "I'm Akayuri, Akari. It's nice to meet you. Um…What's your name?" Hikari gave a small sheepish smile, warming up to this new girl.

"I'm Himawari, Hikari. It's nice to meet you too." Akari gave her another friendly smile. Hikari gave a polite nod of her head before asking, "So…um…how did you get here?" Akari gave a shrug before she ran her hand through her thick ebony hair. Sighing, she answered with a tired tone,

"Well…I just woke up here. Like how you did. I have absolutely no idea where we are right now. Honestly."

Hikari bit her bottom lip. Looking down on the dark wooden floor, she wondered what really did happen. A glimpse of red suddenly caught her eye. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she noticed that her right ring finger had a piece of red thread tied on. Weird how she felt as if nothing was on her finger. She was able to take it off when she realized that she wasn't able to touch it. Her fingers just went through the red thread. Huh. Funny. Looking up, the brunette asked curiously,

"Hey, Akayuri-san…um…do you see a red thread on your ring finger?" Akari looked down. Sure enough, she noticed the same thing, except her red thread was looped around her left ring finger. The girl tried to pull on the thread, but failed. Blinking in confusion, she swore under her breath softly. Hikari looked around, hoping to find some sort of clue to make the weird red thread go away. Akari, on the other hand, was looking annoyed. Both of them jumped slightly when they both heard the sound of a door open. A woman with dark blue eyes and long dark purple hair appeared. In Akari's perspective, she looked like a witch. Although the woman had no warts, nor did she look ugly, but she looked as if she held lots of power. The woman had walked in, in dark robes. A kimono, actually. Lots of flower motifs in dark colors filled the kimono design. The tall pale Japanese woman stood infront of them with a calm expression on her face.

"Welcome to the Dream Shoppe."

The two girls stared at the woman with a look of disbelief. Akari was the first to speak up.

"What…?"

Hikari shuffled closer towards the dark haired girl. For some reason, Hikari felt that Akari would be a good meat shield. Addition to that, Hikari felt safe with her new companion. Akari's crimson red eyes were bright and angry. Glaring at the woman she snarled,

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" the woman shook her head gracefully, the dark straight hair falling off her slender shoulders gently. The dark mysterious eyes looked Akari in the eye before the woman spoke once more.

"My name is Karina. You were brought into this world for a simple reason. To start your high school life all over again. This is no joke. If you wish to leave, that can be arranged. Otherwise, you may stay and form a contract with me."

Hikari inhaled sharply. Akari looked dumbfounded. A contract? Akari gave a weak laugh before asking in a weak voice, "W…What? Start…a new life? How the hell is that possible?" Karina laughed softly before looking at the two coolly. Her answer was simple.

"Living in a new world where nobody but yourselves know about your own existence. Make up new histories. New friends. New lifestyles. In total, a whole new life."

Hikari gulped. It was very welcoming. The offer was amazing. Hikari wanted it. Her brown eyes widened each time Karina said, 'new'. Hikari was longing for this life. She could start all over! Nobody would make fun of her. She could make new friends. She didn't, wouldn't, need to face her parents anymore! A new history! A new future was infront of her! Hikari needed this chance!

"I'm in." Her voice sounded unreal to her. Hikari didn't even recognize that it was her own voice until she looked over at Akari who was gaping at her. Hikari looked back at Karina. Her decision, her life, was all depending on this new world. Hikari would change, like how her life would be changed when she accepted this contract. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the other girl take in a breath. Akari also looked at Karina.

"I…I'm willing to accept this contract. I accept your offer." Her voice was soft and slightly nervous. Akari knew how to make small decisions. She could rethink her life and start new. Nobody to bother her on how to live her life. Akari cleared her throat, her crimson red eyes looked up at the witch. She felt like fainting. She was so scared, yet so excited. Leaving everything behind was something she had always wanted to do. Now was the chance. But then again, how could a wish like this happen so fast? What was the catch? This couldn't happen without a reason, right? What happened if she made the wrong choice. Again? No. She wasn't making a bad choice. This was right.

_Now, to know what the rules and what the catch is. _Akari stared at the woman intently before asking, "So, what's the catch? What did we have to do in order to get into this new world?" Karina smiled, looking wolfish. Literally. She looked like a scary wolf, ready to eat and pounce on them.

"Before I tell you anymore, please sign here."

Out of nowhere, two scrolls were before them. Two dark haired young looking girls were giving them pens and they were holding the scrolls. Akari nearly stumbled back in surprise. Hikari just looked confused and surprised. Both of them took the pen up and signed the scroll. A moment later, the two dark haired girls had disappeared. Karina looked pleased. Hikari then asked in a timid voice,

"Um…Just wondering…Why do we have a red piece of thread tied on our fingers…?" Karina continued to smile. Replying, as if it was the most natural thing in the world she said, "The red of fate. The thread at binds you two together. Once one of you dies, then the thread is cut. You two…are special. That's why the red thread of fate ties you two together."

Akari gave a small nod before sucking in some air and breathing out tiredly. Everything was all…so messy. The red thread? She was stuck with Hikari? Well…that was interesting. Hikari glanced at Akari before looking back at Karina. Hikari was scared. Even though Akari didn't sound scary, nor did she sound mean…it was still all too weird.

"Now. For the first thing on the contract." The two girls looked up. Staring at Karina, they prepared themselves. Karina's dark eyes twinkled while she continued on.

"If the opposite sex hugs you, you will turn into an animal. The person who will be in charge of you is a woman called Akito. She is considered the head of the clan of a family called the Sohmas. She will decide where you are to live."

God. That didn't sound good.

"Second. If one of you two are to die, the other will disappear as well. When you die, you will re appear back into your original world."

Note to self. Don't get killed.

"Third. If you do end up back in your own world, the only way to get back in is to create another contract with me. This also means you will have to pay a certain fee before going back into the world."

Cheapo. That was totally unfair.

"Lastly. Once entering into this world, you will be known as two cousins. You both are now orphans. If you are ever to steal anything, or if you are to commit murder, you will be sent back. No questions asked."

As if they were ever going to kill someone.

"Any questions?"

Hikari raised her hand.

"What about money?"

Karina smiled and replied, "I do believe that you have your credit card, don't you Hikari? You may survive using that." Akari frowned. "Hey! What about me?" Karina's dark eyes looked at the other girl.

"You will need to find your own way to get money." Hikari gave a small pat on Akari's shoulder. "It's okay. We can share." Akari gave a bright smile before mouthing a 'arigratou'. Akari turned back to Karina.

"Err…What sort of animals will we turn into?" Karina passed both of them a pendant. Akari accepted hers hesitantly. Staring at the pendant, she felt herself go numb. On the pendant, it showed a black panther. Golden eyes that had the hint of crimson red in them were staring at her blankly. Hikari on the other hand felt slightly more relieved. Smiling at her animal, a chickadee, she felt quite happy with the animal that she had gotten.

Akari yelped, "And how am I suppose to hide my animal? I'm…I'm gonna be huge! I'm a freaking panther!" She pointed at her animal, her eyes wide with disbelief. Karina remained calm, her dark eyes looked Akari in the eye.

"You've signed the contract. You are unable to go back now. The fine for breaking it is about 2 million yen." Akari gaped at her. Looking back at her pendant, she gave a tired sigh and looped it onto her cell phone. It did make a nice cell phone chain…right? Karina smiled at both of them before she handed another thing. A phone strap. A pair of red phone straps with a golden star as a charm.

"That is to help me keep an eye on you. You lose it, you pay a 1 million yen fine for it. That is, if it is intentional. If not, I'll just give you another one. Trust me. I know if it's intentional." She eyed the two girls with an intense stare. They both gulped before also adding that to their cell phones. Karina then stepped back and raised her hands.

"Now. Once you reach there, you will go straight to Akito's place. I have sent a text to your cellphones, just in case if you two get lost when I send you there. Good Luck and I will talk to you too. May god bless you."

A wild wind picked up and the next moment, Akari and Hikari felt themselves disappear into darkness.

333

"OW! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

Akari collided with someone. Rubbing her head, she glared at the teenager who was glaring right back at her. His orange colored eyes glared at her with anger before walking away. Akari snarled and shouted back,

"WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, PINEAPPLE HEAD!?"

The orange haired teen whipped around, as if he was going to charge at her. Her eyes widened slightly before she turned the other way and ran. Why was she running?

Instinct?

It was probably because she knew that he was going to punch her or something.

She had run a whole block and was panting. Reaching for her cell, she realized that she had Karina's text. Glancing at the text, it told the address of where she was to go to. Akito. That was her name. The woman that would be telling her what to do in this world. Akari blinked and wondered if Hikari was going to be staying with her.

Wait a second.

Hikari?

Akari whirled around. Where the hell was the other girl? Hikari! Shit. _She must of separated from me when we were blown or transported into this world. Fuck. Where the hell was she?_

She was about to dial a number when she realized she didn't have Hikari's cell number. Damn. Akari made a mental note to ask Hikari what her number was after she found her. Looking back at the text, she then realized Hikari was probably going to go to Akito's place. Well, no need to find her anymore. They were going to the same place anyways.

Looking around once more, she realized that she had reached her destination. Right infront of her was the sign, 'Sohma' and the exact address she was looking for. Blinking, she stared at the large gate. Was Akito rich or something? Damn, this house…no mansion was HUGE! Ringing the doorbell, she heard the voice of an old woman,

"Who is it?"

The girl cleared her throat. Her voice wavered slightly before she said, "Hi. I'm looking for Akito? I'm Akari…" she trailed off for the woman snapped, "Come in." The sound of the gate unlocking surprised Akari. Pushing the gate open, she entered into the mansion. To her surprise, there was an elderly woman wearing a kimono standing there. Waiting for her.

Well…damn.

"Right this way." The woman just said and started to walk. Akari walked quickly after her. After walking through what seemed like a maze, they stopped at a door that looked like the traditional Japanese doors. Akari looked at the woman before looking back at the door. A voice surprised her.

"A-Akari?"

The dark haired girl turned at the sound of the timid voice. Lo behold was Hikari who was holding her cell. On her finger was the red thread that link back to her. Yes. It felt nice to see Hikari's face again. At least she knew that Hikari didn't die or something. Akari gave Hikari a smile before she greeted her. "Hey, Hikari. So…this is it, isn't it?" Hikari gave a nod. Both of them looked at the door. The woman called out,

"They're here."

A dark and deeper voice then called out. "Bring them in."

The door slid open. It was dark in there. Really dark. Hikari then suddenly had an urge to hold Akari's hand. It seemed as if Akari was thinking the same thing, because Akari pulled Hikari closer towards her by grabbing her arm and looping her arm around hers. Both of them inhaled deeply before entering into the dark room.

Finally. The time had come.

3333

Nami/Akari: Done. Finally fucking done. Yeah, Hikari didn't help out on this one. I know, I know. I should of waited, but I couldn't really wait. Thus, I came out with this. Soooo, R&R please? Promise the next chapter will be longer!


	4. The Sohmas

**Aka-Ito**

_A joint collaboration by_:

{ Shigemoto Namiko & Matsuki Risako } © 2008

Disclaimer: The creation of this story plot and the original characters, Akayuri Akari and Himawari Hikari belongs to their respective authors (Shigemoto Namiko, Matsuki Risako). The general plot of interest was born from a long process of brainstorming and two of our creative input/output, and it is our appreciation to see that none of our work is to be plagiarized or copied in any way, shape, or form. The original Fruits Basket (Furuba) subplot of the Zodiac Animals its canon characters belongs to manga artist Natsuki Takaya.

Summary: Akayuri Akari, finds herself living her life one day after another. Lost, she is unsure of what to do with her life as she struggles to discover what her purpose in life is. Himawari Hikari feels that she has been nothing but an indecisive person. Afraid to open accept feelings of others and afraid to make decisions, she runs away. Both of them want to change – but how? The story begins by a simple wish – but soon they find themselves tangled in the complex threads of fate.

The whole entire room was pitch black. Akari couldn't see anything. The girl wasn't scared. She was just feeling very lost. The same dark voice spoke out once more,

"Sit."

The two of them sat in japanese formal style in front of a dark figure. The figure didn't look like a woman. Instead, the figure looked like a small, but young looking man. Hikari noticed it first and was in shock. Elbowing Akari, she tried to get the girl to see the figure. Akari bristled when seeing the figure of a guy, instead of a girl. So, she spoke first.

"Are you Akito?"

The voice was soft and calm.

"Yes. I am. You two are Hikari and Akari?"

They two girls nodded. "Yes. Um, aren't you supposed to be a girl?" Akari asked, her voice matched Akito's calmness. She could feel Akito glaring at her. Instead of feeling scared, Akari raised her head up and looked back at Akito. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness and she could see Akito glaring angrily at the two.

"So what if I'm a girl? You two will keep this a secret. That witch, Karina, told you, I suppose? Feh. I just owed her a favor and so this was the payment."

Hikari and Akari exchanged glances quickly before looking back at Akito. Akari was thinking carefully in her mind when she was interrupted.

_Why is she sounding so..offended?_

A voice coming from her head? Akari's eyes widened slightly before she thought back**, **_**No idea. I'm more worried about Hikari and me. Where are we going to go? God, I hope we're both going to stay together…**_

Hikari glanced at her. Akari's eyes landed back on Hikari, her mind thinking the same thing.

_Our minds are linked? _

They both remained looking calm on the outside, but their minds were racing. A louder voice interrupted both of them.

"You two will stay in one of my family member's house. Shigure. That's his name. Under his care are the other family members, Yuki and Kyou Shoma. Another thing is that…you two are under a curse. Like the rest of the chosen members of my family." Akari's brows furrowed in confusion. Curse? The anime curse thing? Blinking, she continued to listen to Akito. The clan of the family then continued on,

"We are under the curse of the Zodiac animals. If hugged by the opposite sex, we will turn into a certain animal in the zodiac. You are to keep this a secret, or you will suffer the consequences." Akito's voice sounded threatening. Hikari gulped and sent Akari a message.

_She's creepy._

_**I know. Just look calm and obedient.**_

Akari nodded. "Of course. Hikari and I promise to keep this a secret." Hikari nodded, looking solemn. Akito continued on with a cold tone,

"You two will be attending the nearby high school with Yuki and Kyou. Hatori will b the doctor if anything is to happen to you. If you are hurt, you will not go to the hospital. Ever." She was warning them with a glare. Hikari nodded, looking very scared. Akari rose a brow before nodding as well. Hikari was sounding very scared and agitated,

Akari! B-But…What happens to something really really bad happens? Will Hatori really be able to fix us up? Why can't we go to the hospital? I don't like Akito…she's really scary…

Akari had a sudden urge to roll her eyes and shake Hikari.

**Shut up and just listen, Hikari. Don't worry. She's not gonna hurt us, 'cause Karina would probably do something horrible to her…besides, If the creep were to go for you, I'd get to her first. It's two against one anyways.**

Hikari gave a small smile before wiping the smile off her face quickly when seeing Akito glare at her. Akari gave Akito a business like smile before she spoke calmly,

"Don't worry, Akito-sama. We'll be sure to follow your instructions." Akito narrowed her eyes at them before raising her voice. "Shigure! You may come in now!" A tall dark haired man came in. Akito looked at him with a look of annoyance.

"These are the two girls. I expect you to treat them well."

Shigure gave the two a bright smile. "Of course, Akito-sama." He motioned the two towards him. Akari got up first and helped her friend /cousin/, Hikari, up. Akito glared at the two of them before she uttered in a low dangerous tone. "Remember what I told you two."

Akari and Hikari nodded and exited the room with Shigure rather quickly. Hikari let out a huge sigh of relief once stepping outside. Akari smiled at her 'cousin' and gave her a small pat on the shoulder. "It's over now, Hikari. Stop worrying." Hikari gave Akari a weak smile. She really did admire Akari's courage and strength. The taller girl was indeed strong and she encouraged Hikari lots.

"So…Hikari and Akari-chan! Is it your first time meeting with Akito?" Shigure asked in a conversational tone. He seemed so cheerful and bright that Akari couldn't help but answer. "Yup! First time! Err…A friend of ours told us to talk to Akito. Yeah. We're cousins, by the way! Hikari and I! We just moved here and we needed a place to stay so our friend told us to talk to Akito!" Akari felt bad for lying, but she really couldn't tell the truth. Her explanation sounded so rushed, Akari wanted to hurt herself for sounding so fake. Shigure smiled at the two.

"Cousins, eh? You two look quite different from each other…" Hikari waved her hand and gave a small nervous laugh. "Distant cousins. Our mothers were cousins." Akari nodded. The dark haired girl added, "That's why we have different last names! Mine is Akayuri and Hikari's is…" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before Hikari filled in,

"Himawari."Akari shot her a smile and beamed brightly at Shigure. They reached a medium sized black car. The two got into the back while Shigure started the car. As they drove, Shigure then said, "Oh, did Akito tell you two about Yuki and Kyou?" The two nodded. He continued on,

"Yuki is the silver haired boy and Kyou is the orange haired boy. Don't get them mixed up because they'll get…very annoyed." Hikari chirped, "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll remember." Shigure chuckled before he added,

"Oh, and we have a friend staying over. Her name is Tohru Honda. Really sweet. The two boys are mighty protective over her…" He trailed off. The two looked at each other. Another girl? Shigure added quite quickly, "Akito knows, but it's best not to mention Tohru-kun infront of Akira. So, could you not mention anything about our Tohru-kun?" Akari and Hikari both gave him smiles, unable to say anything.

Within minutes, they arrived at a nice house surrounded by trees. Akari and Hikari rolled down the window and peeked out. The air was so fresh and sweet, the two sighed happily while looking at the medium built house. As soon as the car got into the driveway, a man was waiting for them. A tall short haired man with some bangs covering one of his eyes.

"You two must be…Akari and Hikari?" the two nodded. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm Hatori. I'm a doctor and I will be the one that you'll be looking for if you need any medical attention." Hikari smiled brightly at him. Akari gave a small business smile before she spoke in a clear and cool tone, "It's nice to meet you, Hatori-san. Do you live in the house as well?"

"Nope! I'm just borrowing his car!" A cheerful voice broke in. Shigure rattled his keys and walked over towards Hatori. The dark haired man scowled at Shigure and grabbed the keys from him. "Get your own car next time." Shigure made a puppy look.

"But…I have no money!"

Hatori rolled his eye. Hikari sniffled a small giggle before turning it into a cough. The other girl was already walking towards the direction of the house. No point of wasting time, she decided. Hikari was running after Akari soon after she heard the other girl's thought. Shigure followed them with a chuckle. Hatori got into his car and drove away without another word.

Once reaching the door, she noticed a girl running towards them. For some reason, the girl tripped and fell flat on her face. Akari rushed to help her up. A silver haired boy came out of nowhere, hoisting the 'not so injured' girl up. The brunette haired girl smiled brightly at them.

"Hi! I'm Tohru Honda! It's nice to meet you two! We've heard a lot about you from Shigure-san!" She was nearly singing. The pink blush on her cheeks was evident that she was clearly very excited. Akari tried not to roll her eyes. This girl was so…hyper that it made her want to puke. But of course, being the polite girl she was, she gave a small bow.

"It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Akari and this is my cousin, Hikari." The other girl with roan hair bowed. Hikari smiled brightly at Tohru, knowing what Akari was thinking. She was thinking the opposite. This girl sounded so sweet and kind, Hikari couldn't help but feel warm inside.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Honda-san! Um…Please take care of me while I stay here!" Hikari made another bow. Tohru shook her head, her green eyes wide. "No, no, no! Please don't bow to me! It's a pleasure, really." Hikari beamed at the girl. Akari wanted to punch her. It was a sudden feeling of anger mixed with annoyance that flowed through her bloodstream. Akari gave a forced smile and looked at the silver haired boy who began to speak.

"I'm Yuki Sohma. It's an honor to meet you, Akari-san. Hikari-san." He gave a nod towards the two. Akari liked him immediately. At least he was cool and collected about the greeting. It sounded more normal and more…polite. Akari gave Yuki a smile before taking off her shoes and stepping on the wooden floor. She was just about to go into the living room, when she made eye contact with a familiar orange haired boy that had just walked into the lobby.

"You…." The both said.

Yuki cocked his head with a raised brow. "Er…you know each other?"

Akari took a step back. Shit. It was that orange haired guy from before. Pineapple head! Hikari blinked at the two and looked at Akari with wide eyes.

"P-Pineapple head? You called him a pineapple head?" she spoke in confusion. Akari gave Hikari a glare before looking back at her enemy. The orange haired boy was glaring viciously at Akari, his orange eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You're that girl who bumped into me! I wasn't able to buy my milk because of you! You're dead!"

Akari shot back with a glare of her own. "Not my fault! You should of watched where you were going!" She wanted to bare her teeth at him. Tohru's soft nervous voice broke through.

"Um…umm! Please…please don't fight!"

Yuki glared darkly at the orange haired boy. "Oi, you stupid cat. Can't you see that they are _guests_? I'm terribly sorry for any trouble that Kyou has caused you, Akari-san." He turned to Akari with a prince like smile. Akari gave a small bow towards him and shook her head. "No. It's fine. I'm just happy that someone has manners here, unlike pineapple head over there." She jabbed her finger towards Kyou who was shaking in rage.

"Oi! Don't say things like as if I'm not in the room!" Kyou snarled at them. Hikari looked at Kyou and gave a small bow. "Um…it's nice to meet you, Sohma-san." Kyou also glared at Hikari when he spoke icily,

"Don't call me that! Just call me Kyou."

Hikari nodded and stuttered nervously, "Eh…Hai! Kyou-kun!" Tohru smiled nervously before edging towards Hikari. Grabbing her hand, she offered Hikari a kind smile. Speaking in a cheerful tone, she led Hikari towards the living room.

"C'mon! I'll give you guys a tour!" Akari and Yuki followed them into the living room. Kyou glared at the dark haired girl with a burning passion before also following them into the living room. Akari looked around, her interest in this house was perking up. The house was very clean and the layout was simple. Tohru smiled at the two girls and spoke with a chirp, "This is the living room! The kitchen is right over there! We usually eat over there in the dining room! I'll show you to your rooms! I decorated it for you two! Um…you don't mind if you two share a room…right?"

Tohru gave a nervous glance towards Hikari who smiled brightly back at Tohru. "Nope! We don't mind, right Akari?" The dark haired girl forced a smile and nodded. Kyou snorted and spoke, "Heh. That brat doesn't even deserve a bed! She should be sleeping outside!" Akari whipped around and glared at Kyou. A low growl came from her throat. Yuki gave a sigh and in a quick motion, he punched Kyou in the gut. Looking back at Akari he gave her a tired smile and said,

"Please ignore him. He's just being stupid as usual." Akari smiled at him and graciously replied, "I can see that. Well, shall we go upstairs?" Pointing at the stairs, she and Yuki made their way up the stairs were Hikari and Tohru were waiting for them. Kyou was getting up and was still looking very angry.

"DAMMIT, RAT!"

Akari raised a brow while stopping on the stairs to give Kyou an evil looking smile. Before she knew it, Kyou was heading towards the stairs with an angry gleam in his eyes. She gave a small gulp before jumping up a few stairs faster. Once reaching to the top, she rushed towards Yuki's side and smiled sweetly at the taller silver haired boy.

"And…this is your room! It's not much, but I did the best I could!" Tohru was talking to Hikari with an excited look on her face. Hikari, who Akari was beginning to believe was an idiot as well, looked just as excited. Akari gave Tohru another fake smile before she spoke in her 'sweet' tone.

"So…Who's room is whos?" She pointed at the other rooms around the top floor. Yuki pointed towards the right. "That's my room over there. Feel free to come over to ask any questions." Akari nodded. Tohru's bright voice chirped up,

"And my room is over at the far left!" That left two more rooms to be named. Kyou who happened to be right behind Akari spoke coldly, "And my room is right smack in the middle over there. Go into my room and I'll kill you. Don't ever bother me, got it?" He glared at Akari who gave him a smirk. Giving a small laugh she retorted,

"Pshh, why would anyone want to ask you for advice? Bet your room isn't interesting either." Kyou growled at her while making eye contact with the other girl. Sparks were flying and it was clear that the two were not getting along very well. Yuki placed a hand on Akari's shoulder, leading her away from Kyou.

"He's always like this. He just has no manners. Please pay no heed to him." Akari patted him on the shoulder friendly. Looking back at the enraged cat, she stuck her tongue out at him before smiling sweetly at the other teens. Kyou followed them with a scowl on his face. Akari commented lightly,

"You know, Yuki-kun? You're really polite and I'm really amazed on how you can put up with him! You're really amazing." Yuki chuckled and gave Kyou a half lidded glare before speaking in a mono tone voice,

"Oh, believe me, Akari-san. It's quite harder than it looks." Akari face Kyou with the same expression on her face. Kyou's face turned dark, a large vein mark began to appear on his head. "You…little…" Yuki ignored him before he added in,

"You'll be attending our school then? You and Hikari-san are the same age, right?" Akari nodded when she spoke in a calm tone, "Yuki-kun. Please, just call me Akari. No need for formalities." Smiling at the prince, the two were getting along quite nicely from Hikari's observation. Tohru was grabbing on her hand and pulling her downstairs when she could hear the brown haired girl saying,

"Let's cook something, Hikari-san! What would you like to eat tonight?" Hikari stuttered, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "Um…Whatever is there! I don't mind eating anything." Akari then shouted from the top of the stairs,

"What about leek? Leek soup is good!" Tohru froze, her green eyes widened. A dangerously low tone came from the stair top. Akari turned around slowly, to see the orange haired boy glare dangerously at her.

"No way in hell are we having leek." Akari glared back at him, her voice was slowly raising . "Why the hell not? Leek is good for you, you know." Yuki sighed and placed a hand of Akari's shoulder.

"Leave it. We're having leek soup, whether the cat likes it or not." Akari smiled triumphantly at Kyou who looked at the two with sudden deep hatred. Without another word, he disappeared into his room slamming the door as he did so. Akari gave a sigh, trudging downstairs. Yuki, on the other hand, remained cheerful and calm. With his prince like face as charming as usual he lead Akari towards the kitchen.

"How about making leek soup, Honda-san?" Tohru looked at the stairs with a worried expression on her face. Akari frowned slightly before she spoke, "How about we have two different kinds of soup? I'll make my famous fish miso soup!" A small smile appeared on her face. Tohru's worried expression started to clear. Her green eyes looked at Akari with a hopeful look.

"Y..you would do that for Kyou?" Akari then suddenly looked uncomfortable. True, she was probably the reason why this all happened. Kyou did live in the house and was technically one of the masters of the house. She really had no right to ask what to eat. Akari's face turned slightly pink while looking away.

"W-well…just to get everyone eating. Y-You know..! It's good to eat to get strength!" Tohru's overly cheerful voice made Akari jump slightly.

"Okay! We'll make two soups! I'll get started on some food preparation then."

Hikari looked at Akari with a mixture of confusion and a bit of respect. Upon hearing Akari's thoughts, Hikari was just beginning to understand her friend a little bit more.

_You're doing this for Kyou, aren't you?_

Akari's face went red. Making eye contact with Hikari, she immediately looked away. The dark haired girl walked over towards the dining room table and sat down. Looking down at the wooden table, Akari's amber colored eyes saddened slightly.

**Well…you know. I feel bad for making Kyou angry. Kinda. I mean, I am the one who made him so angry in the first place, right? I'm gonna talk to him later. I might even apologize…**

Akari thrummed her fingers against the wood, creating the 'tick, tick, tick' sound. Her eyes looked at the stairs, her eye brows furrowed slightly before looking back at the wooden table. Hikari gave a small sigh before giving Tohru a bright smile. Rolling up her sleeves, she spoke in a clear tone,

"Honda-san? What's on the menu tonight?"

Someone was knocking on his door and it was bothering him. A pair of tangy colored eyes glared at the door. His voice was sharp and cold.

"What?"

The voice on the other side of the door was soft and slightly mournful. It annoyed him. He knew that voice. That was the voice of the person who he hated the most at the moment.

"Kyou? Could you please open the door?"

He snarled back. "No. Go away." There was a bit of a pause before Akari then asked, "Then do you mind if you could come down for dinner?" Kyou stared at the door with a look of disbelief. Did she think that he was coming down to eat leek? He rushed over to the door, tearing it open. He glared at the girl who stared back at him with a look of guilt.

"We're having leek tonight. I hate leek. There is no way I'm coming down." Akari flinched slightly. God, did he have to be so mean? She gave a small smile before saying in a meek tone.

"We…aren't having leek tonight!" Kyou looked confused. Akari played with her skirt, a look of discomfort clearly shown on her face. "Well…you see…"

Kyou was still glaring at her.

Akari was feeling nervous and very uncomfortable. "Just come down, please? Tohru cooked up some food for you. Apparently, it's your favorite." Kyou was on the verge of closing the door before Akari gave a sigh and looked at him,

"Look. I'm really sorry for making you so angry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" He was going to slam the door, she knew it. Kyou gave a small smirk before he snarled,

"Get out of here. Don't live here anymore. It'll be a favor for all of us!" He slammed his door. Akari quickly jammed her foot in between the opening, wincing as the door slammed into her foot. Grinding her teeth together, she was starting to get slightly annoyed.

"I can't go. I have to live here. Akito said so." Kyou uttered a low growl. He tried to close the door, but Akari continued to push. An idea came into her head when she decided to lie. Akari was a good liar and she knew it. Although she wasn't very good at fast thinking, she could lie if she had time to think about it.

"You know, Kyou? Tohru is nearly on the verge of tears because you're not down there. I think she really likes you and wants you down there." Kyou froze slightly. Akari's face suddenly turned into a small amused smile. Ha. She had him. She continued on lightly,

"Do you really want her to be sad? That's cruel, Kyou! Just go down there for Tohru, okay?" She then silently apologized to the brown haired girl downstairs. She gave a small pout to Kyou before she pushed on forward. Kyou let the door open. He gave a small glare towards Akari, a small pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.

"Fine. For Tohru." Akari winced, looking at her dead foot. Rubbing it, she plopped down on the floor, massaging her foot. "Tch. Stupid door…" she muttered under her breath while glaring daggers at Kyou's door. The orange haired boy was making his way towards the stairs. Akari's eyes widened. He was actually going to check if Tohru was crying.

A second later, she rushed towards the stairs and was running down before she tripped on a step. Akari let out a chain of swear words when she was falling and thanks to her good luck, she fell on top of the orange haired boy. Kyou's eyes widened when realizing that she was on top of him. Akari was going to say sorry, when she realized that her mouth was a little bit pre-occupied. She got up a shakily, with the help of Yuki who helped her up on her feet. Kyou remained on the floor, his eyes wide. Akari wasn't very sure if it was horror or if it was a look of amazement. Touching her lips with her fingers, she realized that they felt very soft and it seemed like nothing was damaged. Except for the fact that her first kiss had just been stolen.

"A-Akari-chan?" Hikari looked at her with a worried expression on her face. It looked like nobody had seen them kiss. Slightly alarmed, Akari looked towards the direction of the stairs. Kyou seemed to of disappeared once more. The girl gave a long tired sigh.

So much for her good persuasion methods.

Looking back at Hikari, she merely shook her head before looking down at her food. She gave thanks and then started to eat. The rest of them, including Shigure, ate with cheerful smiles. Tohru was talking to Hikari and Yuki excitedly about school while Shigure was trying to get Akari to talk. The dark haired girl remained silent while eating her food.

Later that night, she then remembered that she had no clothes what so ever. She made a mental note to go shopping with Hikari the next day. Boy, what a day it was today. Akari flopped onto her futon, her eyes opened and wide. Staring at the ceiling, she found herself thinking about a particular orange haired boy. Moments later, she fell asleep.

"OHAYOU!"

Akari woke up groggily. Who the hell was shouting so loud in the morning? Glaring at the person at the door way, she flopped back onto her bed. It was just Tohru. The annoying talkative, bright, smiling, idiot, stupid—

"Ughh…Five more minutes…"

Akari turned to see Hikari crawl deeper into her covers. Thank god that Hikari was just as sane at her. Another knock from the doorway. Akari got up and yawned. The door opened and Akari looked to see who it was. Rubbing her eyes, she squinted and realized it was Kyou. She turned pink.

"Oi. Get up. We have to go to school today. Tohru already washed your uniforms and they're here." He threw her the uniforms. Akari caught them, fumbling slightly. She blinked slowly, her crimson colored eyes still hazing. Croaking, she looked at kyou with a look of utter confusion.

"S…school? Today?" Kyou sighed, looking annoyed as ever. "Yeah. It's Monday. Of course, there's school! Hurry up, we're gonna be late." He slammed the door shut. Akari let out another yawn before crawling over towards Hikari.

"Hey. Hikari-chan! Wake up! It's time for school!" The girl didn't budge. Akari stared at the sleeping form. It looked like Hikari was quite a sleeper. Poking Hikari she continued on,

"C'mon Hikari! Wakey, wakey! Breakfast is ready!"

A groan and a muffle. Silence once more.

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HIKARI HIMAWARI! WAKE UP!"

"UGAHH!"

Akari had kicked Hikari out of bed. The girl screamed. Akari groaned, her eyes looked upward. Honestly? Hikari glared at Akari. Rubbing her bottom, she muttered angrily,

"What the hell?"

Akari looked at her with an annoyed expression displayed on her face. "First off. You wouldn't wake up. Second. We have school today. If we don't hurry, Kyou might just kick your ass for me." A second later, Hikari was trying to get into her school uniform skirt. Akari looked at the uniform with a look of distaste before undressing herself. A few moments later, they both were ready. Akari took a small comb out from coat pocket.

"Here." She handed it towards the anxious Hikari. The girl brushed her hair gently, but quickly. She was rushing out the door as soon as she finished. Akari caught the brush that was thrown at her. Combing her own hair, she decided to leave it down. It was long, but it was good enough. Grabbing her coat and scarf, she skipped downstairs. She didn't usually eat breakfast but she was in a whole entire different world! It was time to make some changes.

"Morning, Tohru, Yuki, Kyou."

They both greeted the gang. Hikari looked around. "Where's Shigure?" Kyou shrugged. Yuki answered, "He's still sleeping."

Akari took a rather large bite of the piece of bread with butter on it. To her surprise, it was quite good. Munching on her piece of bread, she watched Yuki say, "I'm going now. I'll see you guys at school later." Akari nodded and waved. About two minutes later, Kyou got up and announced that he was going to go too. Akari quickly got up and dragged Hikari along.

"Alright. We're ready to go too! Hey, Tohru? Are you coming along?" The girl bit her bottom lip before shaking her head. "I'll…I'll go later." Akari shrugged.

"Okay. See you later then." Kyou frowned and looked at Tohru. "C'mon. You're going to come along with us. I'm not walking with these two alone." Akari narrowed her eyes. What did he mean by that? Looking back at Tohru, the girl timidly finished washing her dishes and took her bag and coat. Wrapping a creamy pale brown scarf around her neck, she smiled at Kyou.

"Okay. Let's go!" Kyou managed to grin back at her. Akari's eyebrows furrowed. It didn't make sense. How could he like her? Didn't he find her annoying as well? Hikari joined in with Tohru, the two girls chatted happily with each other. Akari remained silent, lingering behind. It was snowing outside. She frowned and raised her voice a little bit,

"Hey. Is today the first day of school for you too, Tohru?" The girl turned her head back and smiled brightly, "Yup!" Akari bit the inside of her cheek. A new school. A new life. The first day of school. Akari prayed that she was looking pretty and she hoped people would actually notice her. Sure, she had a few friends before but not many. The girl wanted more. No, she needed more. It was to ensure her social status in the school. She needed to become known in the school. With people knowing her, at least she would have more 'connections.'

"Are the people at the school nice?" Hikari's voice rung out. Damn, the mind linking thing. Akari always kept on forgetting about the annoying thing. Tohru nodded with a smile on her face,

"Yup! Hana-chan and Uo-chan! They're my best friends!" Hikari smiled back at Tohru. "What about the other people? Are they nice too?" Kyou answered that question with a scorn. "They're all pretty much fans of that damn rat. They're all stupid." Akari frowned. Her crimson eyes glared at Kyou's back. Breathing in the cold air, she breathed out calming herself down. She was not going to get angry today. Not because of some stupid comment, made by a stupid cat.

"Akari-chan!" Hikari's sharp voice broke her thoughts. The girl was glaring at her. Akari rose a brow before Hikari hissed, "Stop it. Stop copying Yuki-san!" Akari blinked.

"Er…What?"

Hikari rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." Tohru blinked innocently at the two. "Copying Yuki-san? What do you mean, Hikari-chan?" Hikari shook her head before smiling at Tohru.

"It's nothing."

The cat thing, Akari. Stop being so mean! Kyou-kun may sound mean, but he's nice to Tohru! That's enough proof that he's kind at heart!

Akari rolled her eyes.

"Just that?" Her voice sounded bored. Kyou turned around, looking at her with a confused look on his face. "Just what?" He looked at her strangely. Akari looked at him with a bored expression before looking back at Tohru. Turning to Hikari, she laughed humorlessly,

"Honestly, Hikari? Why does the world suddenly revolve around her?" Kyou and Tohru looked absolutely confused. The two girl looked at each other, both clearly annoyed at each other. Hikari's chocolate brown eyes glared at Akari's crimson colored eyes. Her voice was hard and cold,

"Don't say that. Just because…"

You don't like Tohru, doesn't mean everyone doesn't like her. Everyone has his or her own opinions. The world doesn't revolve around her. It's just that she's nice enough that everyone thinks about her!

_**You've fallen under her spell too, haven't you?**_

"What spell?" Kyou stopped and turned towards the two with an annoyed glare.

"Hey! Stop it! You two are sounding weird! It's creepy!" The two glared at him. "Stay outta this!" They both growled at him. Tohru looked at the two girls, her green eyes now clouded with worriment.

"Um…Hikari-chan…Akari-chan? Please…um..please don't fight!"

Akari glared viciously at Tohru before looking back at Hikari.

**We'll talk later.**

Akari walked ahead, ignoring Tohru. Looking at Kyou with a cold glance, she asked, "How much further?" Kyou looked at her with a strange look.

"What's with the sudden change of attitude?" Akari rose a brow and grabbed his arm. She pulled him ahead of the other two and let go of him, as if he burned her. Kyou glared at her and was about to say something before Akari spoke sharply before him. "Just tell me." Kyou rose a brow before telling her where to go. Akari looked at him with an uncaring expression before giving a short, "Thanks." And walking off without looking back. Kyou frowned after her, his pace quickened slightly before he looked back at Tohru and began to slow down.

4444

Hikari wanted to strangle Akari.

What was with the other girl? Why did she hate Tohru so much? Why did she make such awful comments about others? Hikari thought that Akari was a _nice_ person. She didn't expect her to make such rude comments in her mind. Hikari gave a tired sigh before she listened to Tohru blabber on. At the moment, she still was unable to understand why Akari hated the girl who she found very kind and wonderful. Looking at Tohru, she gave a small nod before grinning at Tohru.

"It all sounds so wonderful!"

The girl looked pleased and nodded, a bright smile came upon her face, "Yes! I'm glad you agree!"

_What the hell did she just say, anyways?_

Hikari thought, but the smile on her face didn't falter. They were at the school now, for the loud ringing on the bell sounded. Tohru grabbed Hikari's hand and began to run towards the closing gate. They made it and were gasping for air as soon at they got into the school. Hikari spotted Akari loitering through the hallways, looking slightly lost. Frowning, her annoyance still not gone, she excused herself from Tohru and walked over towards Akari. The other girl's amber colored eyes looked at Hikari dully before she spoke in a low tone,

"You're right. I…I really should stop acting awful." Hikari looked at Akari, still feeling wary. Akari looked pretty down and starting a new life in a new school feeling down wasn't very good. Hikari offered Akari a smile before she gave Akari a hard pat on the back. Akari looked up in surprise and to her relief, she saw Hikari grinning at her.

" C'mon. Tohru's gonna lead us to the class."

"I'm Akayuri Akari."

"And I'm Himawari Hikari."

The teacher clapped at the noisy classroom. They all were staring at them with suspicious looking eyes. Most of the boys were grinning and eyeing the two new girls while the girls in the classroom were looking annoyed. Hikari gulped and felt slightly frightened of the girls who were glaring at her. Akari, on the other hand gave, the girls who were glaring at her, a cold smile. The teacher instructed them to sit in the empty chairs that were provided for them. Akari ended up sitting behind Kyou while Hikari ended up sitting next to Yuki.

_Thank god that's over with._

Akari smiled at Hikari before mouthing, "Don't worry! That was just the beginning." Hikari looked surprised and whimpered slightly. Akari grinned before she gave a small giggle.

_**Just joking.**_

Hikari glared at the laughing Akari. Sighing, she let her attention go back to the teacher. A small smile appeared on her lips, the realization that she was in a whole entire new world with new friends hit her. She thanked Karina in her mind while grinning to herself while staring happily ahead of her.

"So, Akayuri-san? Are you single?"

"What about you, Himiwari-san? What sort of guys do you like?"

Everybody was surrounding them during lunch. Akari and Hikari blinked while eating the bentos Tohru had prepared for them.

"Errr…."

"How about you guys just leave them the hell alone." An annoyed voice sounded. Akari and Hikari turned to see who it was. A blonde haired female girl, looking annoyed and violent came into the classroom. A girl with dark eyes and midnight hair followed the girl with an unreadable expression on her face. Tohru, who was sitting near them exclaimed happily,

"Uo-chan! Hana-chan~!" The two girls smiled at the brown cheerful girl.

"Hey, Tohru. So these are the two you were talking about?"

"I sense a light aura around one of them…" The dark haired girl, Hana-chan, spoke. Her brows furrowed all of a sudden. Looking at Akari, Hana spoke again in a low tone, "I sense a dark aura around you. Shadows and darkness surround you," Akari rose a brow before she sounded hesitant before saying,

"Uh….okay?"

Akari got up and excused herself. She gave the 'wave sensing girl' a small look of annoyance before leaving the classroom. She sent a message towards Hikari, telling her that she was going to go to the bathroom. Hikari looked at Akari with a worried expression on her face before giving a small nod. Hikari gave a small sigh, closing her eyes to refresh her mind. Reopening them, she smiled at Tohru who was looking as sweet as usual.

Hikari looked at the two with a nervous smile on her face. "Um…Hi! Please call me, Hikari! You don't need to call me Himiwari." She gave a small bow, using her upper body. Uotani and Hanajima gave Hikari a look of 'judgement' before they said,

"You're Hikari?"

"Tohru's talked much about you." Hanajima said, her dark colored eyes bore into Hikari's amber colored eyes. Hikari offered her a nervous like smile. "Really? I..um..well, I only met her yesterday! Ne, Tohru?"

"Mhm! Um...but...I called them yesterday to tell them the good news!"

Hikari smiled brightly. Tohru was totally harmless and her friends sounded really nice. Hanajima, Hana-chan, acted weird, but sounded quite friendly as well. Hikari gave a small sigh of relief before giving them a small nervous giggle.

This was her chance at a new life with friends this time.

God, this felt nice!

"Hey, you! Akayuri!"

Akari stopped. Turning around, she saw about four girls walking towards her with a look of annoyance. Raising a brow, she folded her arms and gave a glare at them. Just act like Kyou, she told herself. That way, nobody would bother her. Just look at the number of friends that boy has!

"What?"

The girls looked slightly shocked, yet ruffled. Clearly, they were not expecting someone to look so coldly at them. A girl with long orange brown hair stepped forward. "We just want to warn you about some rules in this school." Akari frowned slightly, her eyes narrowed slightly while her brows furrowed.

"Rules?"

The girls nodded. "Our Prince Yuki is the star of the school. I saw you walking here with Kyou Sohma. You and your...cousin was it? Just wanted to warn you that even though you live together, you will respect him like how we respect him. You should be calling him 'Sohma-kun'." The girl said in a slow voice as if she was speaking to a child.

"...Excuse me?"

"You heard me. We, Yuki's Fanclub, order you to respect him and obey our rules." the girls nodded while the orange brown haired girl crossed her arms and gave Akari a cold look.

She let out a giggle before actually laughing. Akari found these rules absolutely...stupid. Fanclub? Yuki had a...fanclub? Oh, this was rich! Oh, wait. Didn't Kyou say something about that earlier though? Akari looked thoughtful for a moment before looking back at the girls and giving them a 'you're such idiots' smile.

"Well, that sounds mighty interesting but I think I'll pass this time." The girls looked shocked and pissed. Akari walked away without another word. A girl shrieked out with anger as she shouted,

"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE CLOSE TO YUKI-KUN DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE POWER OVER US!" She was huffing and looking vicious. Akari turned around before smirking and feeling much more live than ever. Walking back slowly, she said in a clam tone.

"Power? Aren't you the guys that are power hungry? You want to control everyone because you guys have never had control. Especially over your love lives. Pathetic, I'd say." She scoffed, looking disgusted at the mere fact. Her crimson eyes brightened as her smirk widened.

"Don't ever tell me what I can't do. You have no power over me." She leaned in and whispered to them. Her tone became deadly and her eyes showed no more humor. She regained the smirk before saying cheerfully, "Alright. I've got to go now. Bye." She walked away feeling so much better than she had felt in days. She loved this new life. Akari then began to smile to herself as she realized that she could utimately change her personality. Wasn't this whole new world thing supposed to be like that? A new start. A new personality. A new person. Akari smirked, a thought began to form in her mind.

_I'm not going to be part of the 'unpopular' group this time. I'm gonna be the popular girl. I'm going to be Queen._

Queen. Akari had dreams. Big dreams. This girl wanted to be Queen Bee and there was nothing that was going to stop her.

Nothing.

Ch. 4 end

Namiko: Alright, so maybe I rushed things just a little bit. But of course, it was 'cause every thing was going a bit too slow. Maybe that's the reason behind why there are no reviews? ;_; Anyways, as you can see...Akari is going under big changes from her last life. Hikari is now living the life she dreamed of and Akari is just...well, changing her life. The difference between them is that one wants power, while the other wants to live simply. Funny how these two get along, right? Well, to find out more juicy stuff please review and stay tuned? Love you all!


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